Fox Fire
by ReinaBlaka
Summary: Da Li, the younger sister of Da Ji, is found hiding in the ruins of Koshi Castle by the forces of Shu. Taken in by them, she is plunged into a world of challenges and hardships. Can she overcome her own fears and become a true warrior?
1. Introduction

**Fox Fire-Introduction**

**Note from OC: **This is a disclaimer. ReinaBlaka does not own Warriors Orochi. She only owns me.

Sometimes, life just isn't fair.

You get things you never even asked for. You find your fate twisting this way and that, sometimes leading you in a way you never wanted. You confront such terrifying things in your lifetime that you sometimes even want to die.

And yet, this is all Heaven's rule. Nobody starts out life with everything they want. They must work to make things ideal for them. This is the same for every being in the world, human and demon alike.

In my case, however, everything is about life or death. I happened to get everything I never wanted. From being a fox-demon to having a villainous sister and a life full of danger, you can say I'm a poor soul whom Heaven decided to ignore. But, since you might not see me—or even know me—you might not say such a thing.

You see, I've been spending my entire life either on the run or in the shadows. I never dared to venture into the light, for fear of being hunted down. For five centuries, I've been living that way. Just because of my family background.

There's not much to see about my parents—I don't even know who they are—but one thing is certain: I've got a sibling. Her name is Da Ji, and she's my older sister, if I can even call her that.

She's just about the very reason I'm living like this. She's evil, uncaring, and keen to cause chaos when she can. She's also devilishly clever, and that's why she has created such carnage and suffering among the humans. And, while I know her very well, she doesn't even know me—let alone know her relationship with me.

Da Ji was once a servant of Nu Wa, queen of Heaven and one of the three sovereign mystics of the Mystic Realm. For most of the time, Nu Wa had kept a firm hand on her, but then a king in the Human Realm enraged her when he carved rude comments on her statue. In her anger, she sent Da Ji there, telling her to ruin his kingdom, and that was exactly what she did. The Shang Dynasty—the dynasty that the king was ruling in—was brought to a violent end, with continuous war, blood, and chaos. Thousands of people died by Da Ji's hand, until Taigong Wang, the third of the three sovereign mystics, came down and brought her to justice. The world calmed down and the Zhou Dynasty rose, then Qin, then Han. And finally, the present era, which is the Three Kingdoms—Wei, Shu, and Wu.

All this time, while I was chased for the sole reason of ridding the world of Da Ji's cursed kin, my sister lay in the shackles of the mystics. And all this time, she was watching another demon who was also locked away. A demon by the name of Orochi.

Orochi, the Serpent King, was immensely powerful—even more powerful than several mystics. Long ago, because of his terrorizing of the humans, he was captured by the mystics and sealed into a cliff face at a place called the Wuhang Mountains. Seeing a person that had suffered the same punishment as her, Da Ji made it her goal to get to him. She escaped her own prison and, with the help of two other demons, freed Orochi from his bonds.

Orochi wasted no time in trying to find a worthy foe. Using his unparalleled magic, he tore the land from its roots and created a whole new realm—a twisted world consisting of the Three Kingdoms and an era that came a thousand years after it—the Japanese Sengoku period. I was pulled along with it. That was what many of the humans now call the Great Merging.

With Da Ji as his grand strategist, Orochi swept through the new land, subduing and enslaving the human forces. The sovereign mystics came to stop him, but he defeated them as well, forcing them to rethink their strategy. Hate for my sister soared as she forced the humans to fight one another for her pleasure. And with that, the danger I was in also grew.

Finally, the humans could bear the situation no longer and rose in rebellion. Miraculously, by forming alliances and putting aside their differences, they managed to defeat Orochi, slaying him two times—for after the first war, Da Ji revived him—and sought to live alongside one another in peace. My sister has finally been brought to true, divine justice. But the hunt for me continues.

Who would find me? No one knows. I can only do what I can to survive, and wait till my fate leads me elsewhere. Right now, I am still on the run—as I have been for the past few centuries. From the time when I was a mere pup to the five-tailed, mature age I am now, I have never changed my ways.

All right. I've told you everything you need to know about me and my life. You'd better be going. What? You want to know more? Can I trust you? Oh, well then. I'll tell you, but you'd better not tell anyone else about it. It's the remaining part of my story, where my destiny is revealed, and my life takes a turn for a pure adventure.

My name is Da Li, sister of Da Ji. And this is my story.


	2. Out of the Dark

Fox Fire-Chapter 1: Out of the Dark

**Note from OC: **This is a disclaimer. ReinaBlaka doesn't own Warriors Orochi. She only owns me.

I never knew it would happen.

After nearly five centuries of wandering and hiding, I expected to keep relying on secrecy and invisibility for safety. But I was wrong.

_I was revealed._

Seriously. I'm not lying. Why would I? But, I'm telling you: it really did happen, and it changed my life. Forever.

It happened on a foggy day, to say the least. Dreary, gray mist covered the sky, making everything seem like the world of the dead. The forests I used to live in, the houses of the humans, the distant mountains…everything looked lifeless and boring. A perfect setting for something totally unexpected to happen.

As usual, I was concealing myself in the darkest of places, this time in the burnt-down ruins of Koshi Castle.

Koshi Castle has always been described as a portion of Hell in the Human Realm. Take a look at any picture of it, and you'll see why. The sky is always as dark as midnight, lit only by an unknown, supernatural light. The ground is blasted with black craters and brimstone, with fiery veins running here and there. Streams of molten lava ooze from fountains in the ground, flowing into a moat around a dark-looking castle with purple tiles on the roofs. Each of its four gates are shaped like serpent's mouths, ready to open and send forth the spirits of death. And there are the cannons. Huge, black cannons battered from years of use, with gaping holes ready to spit fire and shoot metal. Cannons invented by my sister, Da Ji.

Of course, it doesn't look like that now. Now, as I have said, it is nothing but the smoking ruins of a once imposing and dangerous place. The sky is no longer dark; it has brightened up due to its destruction. The stones of the once-impenetrable castle walls now lay in oblivion and disarray, and the castle itself has been burned to the ground. Blackened wooden frameworks, rocks, scraps of metal and piles and piles of ashes are all that is left of it. And the cannons are gone. Taken away or destroyed by an army of human warriors.

Koshi Castle was once the residence of the demon known as Orochi. Powerful and bloodthirsty, he caused disaster and destruction among the humans he conquered with the help of Da Ji. But, after two epic wars waged against him, he has finally been put to eternal slumber in the netherworld.

This brings the end to my unpleasant memories.

I'm now huddling behind a pile of rocks and wood that used to be a wall. A cold breeze blows by, forcing me to pull my tattered cloak around me more tightly. I look around. Not much to see. Everything in sight is covered by the gray mist, making them seem far away. I close my eyes, trying to get myself to fall asleep. And then I hear something. Something that sends a chill down my spine.

The sound of horses.

Opening my eyes, I slowly—and tentatively—turn around to peek over the edge of my ruined wall. At first, I could see nothing. The mist was too thick. But the sound grew louder and louder, and soon I could make out dark shapes. I squinted to get a closer look. And then, they came into clear view.

I stifled a gasp. _H-humans! Several of them!_

Several of them, each riding a horse. All of them were men, holding weapons. I shuddered.

One was a young one, with his hair tied into a pigtail, wearing white-and-blue armor and holding a spear. Another looked battle-hardened and rough, with black-and-green armor and a large beard, holding a pike. They were both flanking a third, who was entirely in green, wore a weird hat and had a golden sword sheathed at his waist. The others seemed to be soldiers, with simple armor and spears. I stared. They haven't seen me yet…

And then, to my absolute horror, the battle-hardened one shifted his eyes towards me!

I gasped and whirled around, shrinking behind my ruined wall and panting heavily. Surely that wasn't an illusion? No…it couldn't be…

Then came the voices. "Brother!" cried a brash voice, "I think I saw movement!"

"Movement?" responded a calm, manly voice. "I don't think so. Maybe you were seeing things, Zhang Fei."

"No! I swear I saw something move, brother!"

"Koshi Castle's dead," said the voice of a younger man. "It's burnt to the ground. There possibly can't be anything left alive here."

"Dead?" The brash voice silenced for a moment, then said, "Bah. I saw something move, and I'm sure it was here!"

"Then why don't you prove it?" The calm, manly voice said again. "You can't say you saw movement without proving it. Now, here's a bet…" pause. "If you prove that there is indeed movement, then I will have to agree to you. But, if you don't find anything, then you'll have to put off drinking wine for a week."

Silence.

"…Alright, then." With that, the sound of pounding hooves began to roll, becoming louder until I was certain it was directly in front of my wall. I shrank further, holding my breath in stark fear. It was already too late to run.

_Crash!_

A mighty swipe and the rocks of my ruined wall came tumbling down, some flying in all directions. I fell to the ground, covering my head with my arms as they bombarded me. When things calmed down, I finally took a small peek…and I almost screamed.

The battle-hardened man was upon me, with anger burning in his eyes.

He pointed his pike at me, the wavy blade inches from my quivering body. "Hey!" he shouted in the brash voice. "What do think you are doing here?"

He prodded me with his pike's tip, and I immediately rolled over, throwing off my cloak in the process.

That was a mistake.

The man first gasped, then began to shiver with rage as he uttered the name that I never hoped to hear.

"Da Ji!"

It was true. I looked too much like my sister. Like her, I had pale skin, faint black symbols on my face and body, long, purple braided hair, violet eyes and long, unusually sharp nails. I wore next to nothing, only a torn, skin-tight outfit that had a faded, dark purple color, revealing my slim build with slender curves. I also had the tell-tale traits of a fox demon—pointed, furry ears, vulpine feet and five, pinkish furry tails. I even wore my sister's crown, a velvet crescent with tassels at either end, although it wasn't horizontal, but vertical on my head.

The pike's blade was poised above my throat now. Shivering, I began to inch away, but the man used the blunt of his blade to knock me over. I looked up fearfully at him, my eyes at its widest. The fear in my heart was so great that I was actually choking on it.

To be honest with you, I've been living in fear for the past five centuries, but I have never been as scared as this in my entire life!

Hooves trotted as the other two men came up behind the man, cocking their heads to see me clearly. I could see their faces clearly now. Both were handsome—much more handsome than the man that was in front of me—but I didn't have the time to care about that. I was too worried for my life. The only thing I saw was that one had a mustache, short beard and bejeweled hat, while the other did not. Both frowned at the sight of me, but it was the mustached man who spoke next.

"Da Ji?" The calm, manly voice, now in a questioning tone. He urged his steed to come closer. "No…that doesn't look like Da Ji…"

The brash man whirled around to face him. "Are you mad, brother?" he fumed. "She's Da Ji! Hiding in the ruins of Koshi Castle! The wretched fox woman who incarcerated you! Don't you see that?"

"No," the mustached man repeated. "Normally, Da Ji would use sarcasm to mask her fear. This girl doesn't do anything to hide her feelings. Also, her eyes tell me something else…"

"It _is_ Da Ji! Can't you see? She could be acting! Pretending, like all foxes do! You shouldn't-"

But the rest of his sentence was cut off by a fierce glare from his supposed brother. "Zhang Fei," he said sternly. "Leave her alone. Let me take a closer look at her. If she is indeed Da Ji, I'll kill her myself. I do have a score to settle with her. But, if she isn't…then you'll have to follow all my orders on what to do with her without fail."

The man called Zhang Fei was about to object, but he stopped himself. Somehow, this man whom he called brother had an air of virtue and authority about him—an air that must not be violated. Giving me a look of disdain, he grudgingly backed away, allowing his brother to come up to me.

His hand immediately went to the handle of his golden sword. I closed my eyes tight. _This is the end,_ I told myself. _This is the end. _I waited for the sound of a blade being drawn from its scabbard, the inevitable signal of death. But it didn't come. It never came. Slowly, I opened my eyes again to look up at him.

The man was looking at me. Staring. Deep brown, human eyes were boring into mine. His hand was still at his sword's handle, but it didn't move. I had the sickening feeling that his gaze was burning through me, penetrating the deepest parts of my soul. I couldn't believe it. A _human_ was doing this to me! But I could do nothing. I could only stare back at him, back at his handsome, mustached face, back at the blood-red ruby in his hat, praying that he would spare my poor life.

After what seemed like forever, the man stopped frowning. He stopped staring at me. His face relaxed and a mild smile curved his mouth, his mustache tickling his lips. What was happening? I continued to stare at him, with confusion and anxiety burning in my violet eyes.

"Is she Da Ji or not?" It was the younger man, asking a question.

"She is not!" The man before me proclaimed.

Zhang Fei's eyes went wide with surprise. "WHAT?"

"She is not, Zhang Fei. She's not Da Ji."

"I don't believe you!" but, before he was able to barge in, his brother placed a firm hand in front of him and held him back.

"I have proven that this girl is not Da Ji," he said. "Now, you will have to obey all my orders regarding her."

A tsunami of relief and gratitude flooded me. I was saved! It was quite a feeling, I must say. For a soul who had been living in an atmosphere of fear and suspense for the last five-hundred years, the revelation that she would live to see another day is really overwhelming. I looked on in astonishment and untold happiness as my savior turned his attention back to me.

"Who are you, my lady," he said, "and what is your name?"

For a moment, I was speechless. I had never been asked to identify myself, and five centuries of isolation has almost left me unable to speak. But I did know my name. It was the one thing that I never forgot. But I had never said it to anybody before…

I opened my mouth, trying to get the words out. "D-d-d…"

"Come on, you can do it…"

"D-d…Da Li!"

"Da Li!" The man echoed. "Such a beautiful name!"

"It's awfully close to 'Da Ji'," grunted Zhang Fei.

The younger man just gave a small smile.

"My name is Liu Bei. This is my brother Zhang Fei, and this…is my friend Zhao Yun."

Such strange names! I tried to say them. "L-l-iu…B…Zh...Zha-o...Y-u…"

The young man called Zhao Yun leaned towards his companion. "It might be a little inappropriate to say this, but…I think she's kind of cute."

Liu Bei chuckled. "Yeah." Turning back to me, he nodded. "She is."

"Then what do you plan to do with her?" asked Zhang Fei, still glaring at me. "You said that I should obey all your orders regarding her."

Liu Bei raised his head to the cloudy, fogged sky.

"I shall take her with us, back to Shu!" He proclaimed.

I honestly couldn't believe my ears! Like, it was my very first interaction with anyone else in the entire world, and this Liu Bei is deciding to _adopt_ me? To take me into the light, away from the darkness in which I've been living in for so long; to protect me, to care for me, to introduce me to a whole new world, to teach me how to enjoy life? Is he really going to take on this responsibility, to _raise_ me? What's going on in his mind?

But my ears hadn't tricked me. It was true. All true. I looked at him in disbelief, trying to say something, but my isolation had left me almost mute and I could say nothing.

Being mute…the thought came wandering into my mind. I couldn't say things out loud, apart from my name and a few sounds. I couldn't express myself, and all the feelings about my life that I had been locking up for five whole centuries. Maybe…maybe I really needed some guidance...

And to go on and mention all the things I missed out in my hiding! All the fun I could've had, all the knowledge I could've learnt! I the past, because of my sister, I have been kept from ever trying anything new. Now was a chance for me to leave behind my old life and delve into the new! How could I reject it?

With my unexpected realization, my surprise left me behind. I brushed my unkempt hair out of my face and smiled up at my savior expectantly.

He smiled back, knowing what I meant. Turning away, he gestured to Zhang Fei.

"Listen carefully," he said. "I want you to take this girl and let her ride with you. She looks tired and weary and I do not want her to suffer any further. There should be enough space for her on your saddle. She may ride behind you, lay in your lap—just carry her in a way in which she will be comfortable. Understand?"

"But…brother…"

"This is an order, Zhang Fei!"

"…Whatever that is your will, brother." Unable to object, Zhang Fei approached me once more, but I was no longer afraid. As long as Liu Bei was with me, he wouldn't dare to hurt me. Slowly, he reached out a hand and pulled be aboard his saddle. Pulling my cloak with me, I wrapped it around me snuggly to prepare for my journey.

Liu Bei rode past me on his white steed, turning back to signal to the rest of the group.

"We now ride back to Cheng Du!" He shouted. "Let's go!"

Excitement filled me as the group of riders began to move. It wasn't just taking me to Cheng Du. It was taking me to a new world where I could start over my life, to find my destiny, and to make myself happy. There would be challenges, but who cares? All I care for now is that I am going to embark on a whole new journey.

But I would soon find out that my journey isn't going to be easy as it seems…


	3. Arrival in Cheng Du

Fox Fire-Chapter 2: Arrival in Cheng Du

**Note from OC:** Do I have to repeat myself? This is a disclaimer; ReinaBlaka only owns me. Warriors Orochi goes to KOEI.

I never knew much about the abode of the humans. On the inside, at least.

Through my years of wandering, there were a few times when I came to see a human settlement. Only simple ones, though. Like a village or camp. Often I would glimpse them at night, when I usually made my journeying. They always appeared to me as places I wouldn't want to go. Places of danger and angry people armed with pitchforks and knives. Places with torches, fire and everything a fox—demonic or normal—would fear.

So I was very, very surprised at the splendor and grandness of the place known as Cheng Du. As soon as it came into sight, I scrambled in my position behind Zhang Fei to get a better view. I immediately saw the stone city walls. Tall, imposing and impenetrable; reminding me of how Koshi Castle's walls would have looked like in its long-gone glory days. Soldiers holding spears and shields stood guard on the top, looking down at the group of riders carrying me. Some of them were posted next to a large, billowing green flag with a strange, black symbol on it. Try as I might, I couldn't identify what it was.

The gates were huge. Big, red, and wooden, with large, iron studs. They swung open as the group approached, a deep, creaking sound issuing from its hinges as if it was welcoming my arrival. Then, for a brief moment, we were enveloped in shadow. The shadow of the arching, stone gateway.

As soon as we were out into the interior of Cheng Du, I looked back. The gates were slowly closing, accompanied with the same, deep creaking sound. Eventually, they slammed shut.

So that was the feeling of entering a place.

I turned forward again, and my eyes went wide. I almost began to shudder with mixed fear and excitement!

_There were humans everywhere!_

Crowds and crowds of them there were! Walking around, talking with each other! There was every kind of them you could imagine. There were young women in extravagant clothes, strolling in large groups and chattering amongst themselves. There were mothers, holding their children by the hand, even carrying babies on their backs. An old couple shuffled along, and groups of young men kept gossiping about the girls. Some people were leading horses; some were not. A few of them gave me a quick look, some of them laughing and pointing at Zhang Fei, who was looking very disgruntled. A kid shouted, "Look! Our Lord's here!" and all eyes passed to Liu Bei, who was still riding at the front. Everyone backed away to give him a path, and I saw many of the ladies squealing and gasping with admiration as he passed. Either he was the most handsome guy in the place, or he was held in high regard by most people. I didn't know which.

Either way, he only gave them a quick smile as he rode pass them.

As we continued on our way, I began to notice changes in the humans around me. Less and less of them were being casual inhabitants, and more and more of them were beginning to take on a warrior's aura. A line of soldiers marching in perfect order, an armored, mustached officer followed by an attendant, even a group of lightly armored maidens with swords. And then I began to see the people that would shape my life in the future.

The warriors of Shu.

The first warrior I saw gave me chills. Although she was a girl, she was carrying a pitchfork! Something that an angry farmer could pin me with! I kept my eyes on her as she passed, but she never noticed me. Instead, she saw Zhang Fei, and bowed politely to him.

"Welcome back, Father," she said.

So that girl was Zhang Fei's daughter! My, I wasn't getting a good impression of the Zhang family.

The next warrior didn't look so nice. He wore ragged, spiked armor, a mask and a nasty weapon with blades at both ends of a long shaft. His hair was in dreadlocks. Again I stared at him as he passed, but he didn't see me. I let out a breath of relief.

The third warrior aroused my interest. He was tall, ridiculously tall, dressed in green and held a long-handled, crescent-shaped blade. Hey! What was that black thing hanging from his face? I couldn't resist myself, and reached out a hand to pull it.

"OW!"

He clutched his chin, obviously in pain. It aroused the attention of Zhang Fei, who gave me a heavy slap on the shoulder.

"Keep your hands to yourself, girl." He said gruffly.

He then turned to the green warrior. "Are you alright, brother?"

"Ow…" He looked up, showing his stout face and fierce eyes. "What is that _thing_ you've got there, brother? I mean, what is it? Nobody's dared to pull my beard before!"

Beard?

"It's nothing, brother." Zhang Fei raised his head to the sky and rode pass, leaving his second brother to mind his own business.

The warrior that followed also had something interesting to offer. He wore _something_ on his head—something that looked like a golden dragon's head with horns and a lot of white hair. I was about to touch it, but remembering Zhang Fei's brother and the heavy slap, I didn't move a muscle.

And then there was the fifth.

The fifth warrior, a girl with short, brown hair, tight red outfit and two metal, bladed wheels in her hands.

She was the first one to wear red so far; all the others had worn green. But her eyes were green, bright green as she looked at me. She was also the first person to see me so far.

But her gaze was brief as she passed me. I looked on at her until she disappeared into the distance.

Somehow, I had felt warm when she looked at me…

"We're here!" It was Liu Bei. He had stopped us outside what seemed to be his private home. He got off his horse, giving the reins to an attendant who began to lead it to the stables, then approached the gateway. The remainder of our group also got off, the soldiers all leading their respective steeds away, with only Zhao Yun and Zhang Fei remaining.

Just before he stepped over the threshold of his doorway, Liu Bei turned around to look at me. I looked back at him, unsure about what he was to do.

"Zhao Yun, would you please lead Da Li to your house? She is in desperate need of care and I have some affairs to attend to."

The young warrior nodded. "Yes, my Lord." He approached me had held out his hands to me.

"Come on, my lady. I'm here. There's nothing to fear."

At first, I was a little hesitant, but then Zhao Yun's words gave me confidence and a stepped down, albeit carefully. He took my hand as I did so. My feet touched the ground and I looked up, back at Liu Bei, who was now looking at Zhang Fei with a stern look in his face.

"Zhang Fei," he said. "Come in with me."

Giving the reins of his horse to another attendant, Zhang Fei followed his brother into the house, with a hint of curiosity mixed in his still dissatisfied expression.

With his steed's reins in his other hand, Zhao Yun began to lead me to his house.

"Given your appearance, you appear to be Da Ji's sister." He said as we walked. "Are you really related to her?"

I turned my eyes to him, looking up at his clear, handsome countenance, not sure whether to answer or not. I've never been questioned about my sisterhood with Da Ji before.

"Come on, you don't have to be shy, my lady. I won't hurt you."

I gave a nod.

"Ah…so you are." Zhao Yun sighed. "No wonder you look so like her..."

My eyes wandered to the ground.

"…I do feel sorry for you." Zhao Yun continued. "I can tell that your past has been a dark one. Who told you to have a sister like that?"

He squeezed my hand. "But at least you're going to have a brighter future," he said. "I understand why my Lord made the decision to take you with us. He means to give you a second chance. And I'll do everything I can to take care of you for the time being."

That was the end of our little conversation.

We soon arrived at Zhao Yun's house. It resembled Liu Bei's abode a lot. You could even consider it as a clone. I warily looked at the two soldiers guarding the doorway as Zhao Yun gave his stallion's reins to his attendant and led me towards it.

The guards cast a questioning glance in my direction, but they didn't do or say anything. They just stood there, as still as statues, as Zhao Yun took me into a wide stone courtyard surrounded by wooden buildings. He led me straight forward into a second doorway, through several hallways until we came upon a small bedroom with a nice, cozy-looking bed.

Zhao Yun let go of my hand, and the first thing I did was to plunge my tired body onto the bed. I immediately began to enjoy its softness. For the previous five-hundred years, the rugged, hard rocks and grass of the land on which I wandered was my bed; this was the very first time I had experienced any comfort. I rolled this way and that; unaware that my savoring had made me look more like the animal I was supposed to be. And, of course, unaware that Zhao Yun was beginning to like me very much…

"Hey, my lady." He finally managed to say. "Are you…hungry?"

At the mention of the word "hungry", I immediately realized that I hadn't eaten well in the last few days. I jolted up from my rolling, looking at him expectantly, instinctively adopting the pose of a begging dog. (I am, after all, a fox, and foxes are related to dogs.)

He chuckled as my cuteness level went to the extreme. "Looks like you are." He began to turn to the doorway. "I'll fetch you something."

He left. After what seemed like forever, he reappeared, with a fat, juicy bun.

"Here-"

At that moment, my human side could hold my animal instincts back no more. I pounced on the bun—and Zhao Yun—and snatched it, instantly attacking it with all my might.

My, what a surprise! The white skin of the bun concealed a juicy chunk of meat. Just what a fox would _die_ for! Never have I tasted such delicious food. I've only ever eaten leftover scraps and wild roots before this.

I didn't notice that I was sitting directly on Zhao Yun, who was struggling to get up.

"Aw, please…" He was pleading with me, but I was virtually deaf to his remarks. I was too busy with my food!

But then my ears pricked up when I heard something. Footsteps. Heavy boots thudding on the floor. I looked up, towards the doorway, just in time to see a man appear in it.

I recognized him at once. Liu Bei.

At first, he was surprised at the scene before him. But then the funny—and cute—part of it came to him, and he put his hands on his hips and chuckled heartily.

"So, Zhao Yun," He remarked. "You've been having a lot of fun with her, haven't you?"

Zhao Yun struggled to raise his head. "Oh, Lord Liu Bei—it's you! I-"

"And I see that our little lady has found a comfortable place to stay."

Zhao Yun sighed, knowing what his Lord meant. "Please, my Lord, you've got to quit it with the bad jokes!"

Liu Bei only chuckled further.

Zhao Yun was now exasperated. "You-you've got to help me!" He pleaded. "She's crushing me under her weight, you know…Argh…"

"I see, I see." Liu Bei approached me. Feeling myself flush with embarrassment, I quickly stuffed the rest of the bun into my mouth.

"No need for that, my lady. I understand your need. Would you please get off of our friend here? He isn't being so comfortable with you sitting on him."

I looked down. For a moment, the realization of my instinctive action bluffed me; but, knowing that Zhao Yun was indeed suffering from my weight, I slowly slid off of him and onto the ground.

Zhao Yun coughed as he got his breath back. He stood up, feeling relieved to be able to move again. "Thanks, my Lord," he said. "I never expected Lady Da Li to be like that. She's about as heavy as a mountain…"

"No. You exaggerate, Zhao Yun." Liu Bei turned to me, the smile still on his face. "Though considering her clear isolation from civilization, she'll need to learn a great deal about us…"

I kept staring at him, now uncertain about what he meant. There were so many complex words. "Isolation"? "_Civilization_"? What did these terms mean?

I was going to find out very soon…


	4. Meeting Lady Sun

Fox Fire-Chapter 3: Meeting Lady Sun

**Note from OC:** Come on, do I _have_ to do this? Disclaimer. ReinaBlaka only owns me, Warriors Orochi goes to KOEI.

Ever since I came to Shu—and for that matter, the human world—I've been doing millions of things for the first time.

First time playing hide and seek (Zhao Yun had a pretty hard time finding me), first time stealing food (I think I love meat buns too much), first bath (Oh my, that was real torture!), first time going on the roof (I don't know, I just got there), first hug (I think Zhao Yun actually likes me!), first time running for my life (I somehow angered Liu Bei's horse, Hex Mark, and it chased me), first time stealing someone's hat ( Liu Bei's hat is just so pretty and shiny)…the list goes on and on. I really think I've lost count of all this! ( Oh, and here's another one: first time losing count of something.)

As you can see from some of my little side comments on these things, I've already gotten into a lot of trouble. This has led to many things. For one, Zhang Fei doesn't like me as much. He keeps glaring at me whenever I walk pass him, but I don't mind that as long as Zhao Yun or Liu Bei is with me.

For another, though, it has raised considerable attention towards me among the forces of Shu, and now I'm forever being visited by curious officers who want to see the new, foxy troublemaker their Lord has brought in. I was introduced to people with names like Mi Zhu, Li Dian, Fa Zheng and such; along with the occasional female lieutenant. But then four of the five warriors who passed me on the day I arrived in Cheng Du decided to pay me a visit, and I was finally offered a chance to identify them.

Zhang Fei's daughter—or the girl with the scary pitchfork—was named Xing Cai. Naturally, I expected her to be as scary as her weapon. But she wasn't scary at all when she came to see me! In fact, she was pretty, and caring. Not the least bit like her brash father. Which makes me wonder as to why she carries a pitchfork, but I clearly recall what she said when she saw me. She took one look at me and said, "She doesn't look like Da Ji at all."

The warrior who wore a strange _thing_ on his head was called Ma Chao. I learned that he was a renowned general in the Shu army, and a good friend to Zhao Yun. The _thing_ on his head was called a helmet, a hat which is supposed to protect you in a fight. Ma Chao even let me play with it for awhile, watching me run my hands through the white hair crest. He was smiling, and saying to Zhao Yun, "She's too innocent to be brought to justice like her sister deserved."

The third warrior to come was the not-so-nice looking one, the one who wore a mask and barbaric armor. He looked at me closely, making me somewhat uncomfortable. Then he stepped back and turned to Liu Bei, who was present. "She…is…new…fox…?" he grunted.

"Yes…?"

He turned back to squint at me. "No…like…Da Ji…"

He spoke weird. And then I realized that his speech was impaired. Which reminded me of myself…

And last, but not least, the man whose beard I pulled—Liu Bei's second brother, who was called Guan Yu. Said to be the mightiest warrior in the land, and leader of the Five Tigers—a group of five fearsome generals in the Shu army of which Zhao Yun, Ma Chao and Zhang Fei are also members.

At first, his tall figure put me in the shadows, but then he kneeled down to take a better look at me. I stared at his stout countenance, and his fierce eyes. Eyes that reflected years and years of battle. His long, lush beard hung from his chin, inviting me to play with it, but I didn't. I simply kept a fearful gaze on him, not knowing what he would do to me for what I did to him.

Several long, suspenseful minutes passed before he stood up, his hands on his hips, turning to Liu Bei.

"I don't get it," he said, frowning. "First someone tells me she's the little devil who pulled my beard, and the next moment I find her looking absolutely innocent? I don't understand. Is she really Da Ji's sister, as the others say?"

Liu Bei paused for a moment, looking at me before his attention shifted back to his brother. With all the attention I was getting, as well as all the visits, he was sure to have heard of the little incident that happened on the day I arrived here.

"Why, Guan Yu, she is Da Ji's sister. You're right on that. But…" he sighed and leaned closer to him. "…you really should forgive her. She is a pure soul who has done nothing wrong, and it was fate that had been so cruel to her. Know that she has been isolated from civilization for pretty much her entire life, and she absolutely knows nothing about the way we live, let alone the way we are. You should not punish her; it would be simply wrong."

The words slowly processed through Guan Yu's mind, as well as mine. Another several minutes ticked by, and then he nodded, his hand absent-mindedly tugging the end of his beard.

"…I understand now," he said, casting a glance in my direction. "But, if you are to keep her here, brother, what do you plan to do with her?"

"Good question." Liu Bei crossed his arms, half-descending into a train of thought as he looked at me. "...she'll need to learn everything necessary to fit into our world, and this environment. She'll need training. This means she'll need a teacher."

"You mean, she'll learn to be like us, learn how to fight, and then join our forces?"

"…I think that's the best possible way."

I listened silently to their conversation as they talked about my future. Fighting. Training. Joining their forces. _Everything necessary to fit into their world. _What could this mean for me? I tried to figure, but with my limited knowledge about the humans, I didn't get really far.

Four of the five warriors who passed me on the day I arrived at Cheng Du have visited me. Four of the total five. Which leaves the fifth and final warrior, the red-clad girl with the bladed wheels and green eyes. She has yet to see me.

Just who is she? I kept asking myself this question. Her attire and bearing made it clear that she was not of Shu, but if that was so, where was she from? What was her name? I suddenly began to feel frustrated about my inability to speak. If I could, I would've immediately asked Zhao Yun or Liu Bei. They should know…

I was thinking about this, one bright morning, staring at the ceiling of my room in Zhao Yun's house when I heard the sound of approaching footsteps. I turned my head towards the doorway, just in time for a familiar, armored figure to appear.

Zhao Yun.

"My lady!" (All these days I've been with him, and he still treats me so formally? Ugh.) He called to me, louder than usual. I jolted up, looking at him. What was up?

"You've got to hurry," he said. "Lord Liu Bei wants us to be out at the entrance as quickly as possible. He wants to take us somewhere! Quick!" and he turned around, vanishing out of my sight.

Whatever it was, the call was urgent. At least I understood that from my brief stay. I rolled out of bed, pulled my new cloak over my shoulder, snatched my hat and hurriedly rushed out into the hallway, slapping it onto my head without much thought.

In a few moments I was at the entrance, stumbling as I got pass the guards and almost falling facedown into the ground. Pausing to catch my breath, I looked up to see Zhao Yun, standing alongside his Lord. Both of them were smiling. Chuckling. Seeing my confused expression, Liu Bei raised his hand, pointing at my head.

"You've got it on the wrong way," he said.

Gingerly touching my hat, I realized he was right. A wave of embarrassment washed over me as I realized that it was positioned horizontally, just like my evil sister. I flushed as I quickly turned it around, into its proper vertical angle, the tassels flying as I did so.

After a fit of manly-sounding laughter, both warrior and lord calmed down. Zhao Yun walked over to me and took my hand, as he always did, and began to lead me towards his Lord. As soon as we caught up to him, he started to walk in front of us, obviously taking us somewhere.

"What did you tell our little lady back there, Zhao Yun?" Liu Bei asked as he walked. "She obviously looked like she was in a rush when I saw her."

"I just said that you wanted us at the entrance as quickly as possible, my Lord, and she came bounding out."

Liu Bei gave a little sigh. "I didn't say it was _that_ urgent, Zhao Yun. I only wanted you to be a little swifter in your moves, and you took it too seriously…"

"My Lord, if you tell me that something must be done quickly, I _will_ do it quickly."

"Please, Zhao Yun, know that there are rarely wars in this world now, and there is no need to strain your nerves. Also…" he turned his head to look at me. "You've caused our little lady to do quite a thing with her hat."

Zhao Yun rolled his eyes. "Come on, my Lord; please stop it with the bad jokes."

"I don't think they're bad!" Liu Bei chuckled, "Have you ever met a lord without humor?"

"Of course not…"

"Then stop complaining!" Liu Bei laughed as he turned his head back to the front.

I looked up at Zhao Yun and smiled. Even if he didn't quite like it, I was really fond of his Lord's "bad humor".

With the conversation ended, we continued the walk in silence. And moment later, we arrived at our destination. I recognized it. The building I first came to on the day I arrived, but never entered.

Liu Bei's house.

Liu Bei led us towards it, and eventually we all stepped over the threshold of the doorway. I looked around. It was virtually the clone of Zhao Yun's house! Same stone courtyard, same wooden buildings on all sides. I couldn't see anything different, except that the tiles on the roof were a shade of dark green, not the black color back at Zhao Yun's abode.

At this point, Liu Bei turned to us, the morning sun making his green armor shine.

"Would you please wait here for a moment, Zhao Yun?" he said. "My lady is waiting to meet you two inside, and I need to inform her that the two of you have arrived."

"Of course, my Lord." Zhao Yun nodded, squeezing my hand.

Liu Bei turned and disappeared into the building opposite the entrance. I looked up at Zhao Yun with curiosity in my eyes. Lady? Who was Liu Bei's lady?

But before he could answer, Liu Bei reappeared, a welcoming smile on his face.

"My lady is very happy to hear that you two have come," he said. "Please, come inside. She would dearly love to meet our little friend."

The green-armored lord then led us into the building, and into a room that seemed to be a guest room. There was a table, and on either side were two large chairs. Hanging above the table was a huge painting that depicted a dragon soaring among the clouds, and a tiger prowling the lands below. Both creatures were keeping their gaze on one another. I frowned. What was that supposed to mean?

But then I noticed the figure seated in one of the chairs. And my jaw dropped.

A young woman, clad in red, with short, brown hair and bright, green eyes. Green eyes who saw me on the day of my arrival. Here was the very warrior that I had been wondering about these few days. The mysterious girl who didn't look like she came from Shu.

I stood there, dumbstruck, and simply stared as her eyes turned to me for the second time. They were like shining like little green jewels, as green as Liu Bei's armor, their gaze boring into me. Reminding of the day when I was discovered in Koshi Castle, when Liu Bei was scrutinizing me.

Now two pairs of eyes have drilled holes in me. One pair a plain brown, and now a pair that was a shimmering green.

The red-clad maiden smiled pleasantly as her gaze met mine. She stood up, gesturing for me to walk over to her. But I didn't move. I felt that I had grown roots on the spot.

I was utterly surprised.

Liu Bei saw the state I was in. He stepped in between us, and simply started the introductions.

"Lady Da Li," he began, as polite as always. "This here is my lover, Lady Sun Shang Xiang. My Lady, this is Da Li, the little fox I picked up at Koshi Castle, and the sister of Da Ji."

As if on cue, Zhao Yun pushed me gently forward, giving me a look that said, "Go ahead, and don't be shy." I immediately found myself walking towards her, and before I knew it, I was before her, besieged by her outstretched arms.

"Sister of Da Ji?" The maiden called Sun Shang Xiang echoed as she smothered me with her hands. She felt my pale arms, and studied my face, making me quite uncomfortable. "No. She doesn't look one bit like her."

It was the same comment from almost all my visitors. "She is so innocent", and " She doesn't look a bit like her sister". _Everybody_ said that, in one way or another.

Shang Xiang turned to her Lord after she brushed a strand of hair out of my face.

"My Lord," she asked. "You found her all alone in Koshi Castle? What did you make of her when you saw her?"

"Well, it wasn't me who found her. Zhang Fei heard her and found her first, but he mistook her for Da Ji. It was I who confirmed her true identity. As for what I make of her…" He looked at me. "…I deduced that she was Da Ji's _sister_ from her appearance."

"Anything else?"

"Yes. Frankly she was in a terrible state when she was found. And she couldn't speak. I knew at once that she had suffered isolation because of her sister's name, and I just had to take her back with me."

"…I see," Said Shang Xiang, continuing to embrace me, "She's such a sweet girl, my Lord."

"Of course she is." Liu Bei smiled. "And she's adorable, too. She almost always steals my hat."

"Awww…"

Silence reigned for a brief moment before Shang Xiang spoke up again, while looking at me closely.

"My Lord, what do you want to do with her, and why have you specially arranged for me to see her today?"

"…That is just what I was going to tell you," said Liu Bei. He walked over to his lady's side. "I've been thinking about it those days, and I've decided to let someone teach her about our world, and our ways; and most importantly, how to defend herself."

Shang Xiang looked up at her Lord. "And who is that?"

A pause. "You, my lady."


End file.
